Apparatus for spacially changing sound with display location and window size

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for presenting picture and sound with harmony or correspondence therebetween in which first and second pictures are displayed at the same time on the same display screen and sound related to the first and second pictures is concurrently produced with a volume corresponding to the respective display areas of the pictures. When the first picture partially overlaps the second picture, the produced sound corresponds to the actual display areas of the respective pictures.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to an apparatus for presenting picture along withsound and, more particularly, to an apparatus having a function todisplay plural pictures within a display screen and to present soundsrelated thereto.

BACKGROUND ART

With popularization of personal computers in recent years, anenvironment of so-called multimedia is being prepared and a lot ofsoftware are provided in various media forms. Generally, in the softwarecalled "multimedia", pictures are presented along with soundscorresponding thereto. Therefore, personal computers are generally usedfor the time being as an apparatus for presenting pictures along withsound. However, it is expected in the future that new computer systemsin the form where video equipment or audio equipment is assembledtherein will be popularized. In addition, it is also expected that a newtype of light sign board for advertisement will be developed.

In the case where various pictures are displayed on a display screen ofcomputer, an independent window is opened for displaying an independentpicture on the screen and usually it is possible to open plural windowson the screen. In addition, there is generally employed such aconfiguration capable of arbitrarily designating respective positionsand respective sizes of windows. Usually, it is possible to set aposition of window and a size of window by operating a mouse.

In a multimedia reproduction system using a general personal computer,as previously described, it is possible to suitably designate positionsand sizes of windows for displaying respective pictures (picture images)by operation of mouse. Thus, it is possible to respectively displayplural pictures on a display at desired sizes. However, in regard tosound, similarly to the general TV receiver or audio equipment, only thefunction to adjust sound volume as a whole is provided, but specialattention for reproducing multimedia is not drawn. In the software socalled multimedia, pictures and sounds are generally presented asrespective sets, and it is expected to present a picture and a soundwith harmony or correspondence with each other. However, in theconventional or existing systems, while it is possible to respectivelypresent individual pictures (picture images) at desired sizes on thedisplay, it is impossible to carry out sound volume adjustment in amanner harmonized with the presented picture.

In view of the above, an object of this invention is to provide anapparatus for presenting a picture along with sound capable ofpresenting the picture and sound in a manner such that they are inharmony or correspondence with each other.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

(1) A first feature of this invention is directed to an apparatus forpresenting a picture along with sound comprising:

a display for displaying a picture;

a speaker for producing a sound;

data supply means for supplying picture data for allowing the display todisplay a picture and sound data for allowing the speaker to produce asound;

input means for inputting a designate size of a picture to be displayed;and

control means for controlling the display so that a picture is displayedbased on the picture data supplied from the data supply means and forcontrolling the speaker so that a sound is produced based on the sounddata supplied from the data supply means;

wherein the control means has a function to adjust magnification of thesupplied picture data so that a picture is displayed in a display areahaving a designated size which is inputted by the input means and has afunction to adjust volume of the supplied sound data so that a sound isproduced with a volume corresponding to an area of the display area.

(2) A second feature of this invention is directed to the apparatus forpresenting a picture along with sound having the first feature:

wherein the data supply means has a function to deliver picture data andsound data related thereto as a set of presentation information and hasa function to deliver plural sets of presentation information includingindividual picture data and individual sound data at the same time;

wherein the input means has a function to independently designaterespective sizes for the individual picture data delivered at the sametime; and

wherein the control means has a function to adjust magnifications of theindividual picture data delivered thereto so that pictures are displayedin respective display areas having designated sizes which are inputtedby the input means and has a function to adjust volumes of theindividual sound data delivered thereto so that sounds are produced withrespective volumes corresponding to areas of said respective displayareas.

(3) A third feature of this invention is directed to the apparatus forpresenting a picture along with sound having the second feature:

wherein the control means has a function to control the display todisplay individual pictures on a screen on the basis of the individualpicture data in such a manner that said individual pictures overlap witheach other, to determine actual display areas which are not concealed byother pictures with respect to the individual pictures displayed on thescreen and to adjust volumes of the individual sound data deliveredthereto so that sounds related to the individual pictures arerespectively produced with volumes corresponding to the respectiveactual display areas.

(4) A fourth feature of this invention is directed to the apparatus forpresenting a picture along with sound having any one of the first to thethird features:

wherein a relationship between a display area of a picture and a soundvolume indicates a monotonously increasing function such that the soundvolume monotonously increases with increase of the display area.

(5) A fifth feature of this invention is directed to the apparatus forpresenting a picture along with sound having any one of the first to thefourth features:

wherein the apparatus further provides reference sound volume settingmeans for setting a predetermined reference sound volume; and

wherein a sound volume is adjusted so that when a entirety of a pictureis displayed with a reference size which is set in advance, a sound isproduced with said reference sound volume.

(6) A sixth feature of this invention is directed to an apparatus forpresenting a picture along with sound comprising:

a display for displaying a picture;

plural speakers for producing a sound, these speakers being disposed sothat relative positions with respect to the display are different fromeach other;

data supply means for supplying picture data for allowing the display todisplay a picture and sound data for allowing the speakers to produce asound;

input means for designating a part area as a designated region in whicha picture is to be displayed on a screen of the display; and

control means for controlling the display so that a picture is displayedbased on the picture data supplied from the data supply means and forcontrolling the speaker so that a sound is produced based on the sounddata supplied from the data supply means;

wherein the control means has a function to deliver a picture signalbased on the picture data delivered thereto to the display so that apicture is displayed within the designated region designated by theinput means and has a function to deliver sound signals based on thesound data delivered thereto to the speakers so that a sound imagecorresponding to a relative position of the designated region withrespect to an entire region of the screen is produced.

(7) A seventh feature of this invention is directed to the apparatus forpresenting a picture along with sound having the sixth feature:

wherein the data supply means has a function to deliver picture data andsound data related thereto as a set of presentation information and hasa function to deliver plural sets of presentation information includingindividual picture data and individual sound data at the same time;

wherein the input means has a function to independently designaterespective designated regions for the individual picture data deliveredat the same time; and

wherein the control means has a function to deliver a picture signalbased on the individual picture data delivered thereto to the display sothat individual pictures are displayed within the respective designatedregions designated by the input means, to determine relative positionsof the respective designated regions with respect to an entire region ofthe screen and to deliver sound signals based on the individual sounddata delivered thereto to the speakers so that respective sound imagescorresponding to the relative positions are produced.

(8) An eighth feature of this invention is directed to the apparatus forpresenting a picture along with sound having the first or the secondfeature:

wherein the plural speakers are constituted by at least two speakers ofa left speaker disposed on a left side of the display and a rightspeaker disposed on a right side of the display; and

wherein sound signals are delivered so that when a central position of adesignated region for a specific picture is getting more deviated to theleft side relative to a central position of the entire region of thescreen, a volume of the left speaker with respect to a sound related tosaid specific picture is getting greater than a volume of the rightspeaker with respect to a sound related to said specific picture andwhen a central position of a designated region for said specific pictureis getting more deviated to the right side relative to the centralposition of the entire region of the screen, a volume of the rightspeaker with respect to a sound related to said specific picture isgetting greater than a volume of the left speaker with respect to asound related to said specific picture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the fundamental configuration of anapparatus for presenting a picture along with sound according to anembodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2A shows a blank picture display area of the display corrected tothe computer.

FIG. 2B shows a single picture displayed on the screen.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are views respectively showing a picture displayed in anenlarged manner and in a contracted manner with respect to the stateshown in FIG. 2B.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of the linear relationship betweena display area S of a picture and sound volume V utilized in thisinvention.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of the increasing relationshipbetween a display area S of a picture and sound volume V utilized inthis invention.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are views showing pictures of diferent size displayed onthe screen of the display connected to the computer.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are views showing three pictures displayed on the screenof the display connected to the computer.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a fundamental configuration of anapparatus for presenting a picture along with sound according to anotherembodiment of this invention.

FIG. 9 is a view showing the relationship between sound volumes of leftand right speakers when a picture is displayed on the screen of thedisplay in the apparatus shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a view showing the relationship between sound volumes of leftand right speakers when a picture is displayed on the screen of thedisplay in another form in the apparatus shown in FIG. 8.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT INVENTION

In the apparatus according to this invention, size designation of apicture to be displayed is carried out by input means, thereby making itpossible to display a picture at an arbitrary size on the displaysimilarly to the conventional apparatus. In addition, at this time, asound related to the picture is adjusted so that the sound volumecorresponds to the display area of the picture displayed on the display.Accordingly, if the picture is displayed in an enlarged manner on thedisplay, the sound volume becomes greater in dependency upon theenlarged picture display. In contrast, if the picture is displayed in acontracted manner, the sound volume becomes lower in dependency upon thecontracted picture display. For this reason, the picture and sound arepresented in such a manner that they are in harmony or correspondencewith each other.

Moreover, in the case where plural pictures are displayed on thedisplay, sounds related to respective pictures are presented at soundvolumes corresponding to the display areas of the respective pictures.Namely, the sound related to a picture displayed in an enlarged manneris presented with a high sound volume, and the sound related to apicture displayed in a contracted manner is presented with a low soundvolume. For this reason, even in the case where plural sets ofpresentation each consisting of a picture and sound related thereto areprepared to present them at the same time, the pictures and sounds arerespectively presented in a form such that the display areas and thesound volumes correspond to each other. For this reason, individualpresentations are respectively presented such that the pictures andsounds are in harmony or correspondence with each other.

Moreover, in the apparatus according to this invention, it is possibleto designate, by input means, a region where a picture is to bedisplayed, and it is thus possible to display a picture within anarbitrary designated region on the display. In addition, at this time,if a system having plural speakers is used, it is possible to presentsounds from the plural speakers so that a sound image of a particularsound related to a particular picture is produced at a particularposition corresponding to a position of said particular picture.Accordingly, presentation can be made wherein a position of a pictureand a position of a sound image are caused to be in harmony orcorrespondence with each other.

This invention will now be described in accordance with the followingembodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a fundamentalconfiguration of the apparatus for presenting picture along with sound,according to one embodiment of this invention. This apparatus isconstituted by data supply means 100, control means 200, a display 300,a speaker 400, input means 500, and reference sound volume setting means600. The data supply means 100 is means having a function to deliverpresentation information consisting of picture data and sound data. Inthis embodiment, four sets of presentation information 10, 20, 30, 40can be presented. Respective sets of presentation information 10, 20,30, 40 include picture data 11, 21, 31, 41 and sound data 12, 22, 32,42, respectively. These sets of presentation information 10, 20, 30, 40are delivered to the display 300 and the speaker 400 through the controlmeans 200. Namely, the picture data 11, 21, 31, 41 are delivered to thedisplay 300 and predetermined pictures are respectively displayed on thedisplay screen. On the other hand, the sound data 12, 22, 32, 42 aredelivered to the speaker 400 and predetermined sounds are respectivelyproduced from the speaker.

The input means 500 is a unit for inputting a designate size of apicture displayed on the display 300. The control means 200 has afunction to carry out magnification adjustment to the picture data 11,21, 31, 41 delivered from the data supply means 100 so that a picture isdisplayed with a size designated by the input means 500 and to deliverthe adjusted data to the display 300. In addition, in this embodiment,the input means 500 has a function to input information relating to adisplay position of picture, and the control means 200 controls thedisplay 300 so that a picture is displayed based on a size and aposition designated by the input means 500.

On the other hand, the reference sound volume setting means 600 is meansfor setting a predetermined reference sound volume. It should be notedthat sound data delivered from the data supply means 100 is notnecessarily outputted from the speaker 400 with this reference soundvolume. The control means 200 has a function to adjust a sound volumewith respect to sound data delivered thereto so that a sound is producedwith a sound volume corresponding to a display area of a picturedisplayed on the display 300, and a sound volume of a sound outputtedfrom the speaker 400 is essentially determined in accordance with thedisplay area of the picture related to the sound. It is to be noted thatin the case where the entirety of a picture is displayed with areference size which is set in advance (the maximum size in thisembodiment), a sound volume is adjusted to the reference sound volumewhich is set in the reference sound volume setting means 600. In otherwords, a reference sound volume which is set in the reference soundvolume setting means 600 determines a sound volume serving as areference (a sound volume when the entirety of picture is displayed atthe maximum size).

The control means 200 is supplied with plural sets of presentationinformation from the data supply means 100, thus making it possible todeliver them to the display 300 and the speaker 400. Accordingly, pluralpicture data can be displayed at the same time on the screen of thedisplay 300. Moreover, plural sound data can be outputted from thespeaker 400 at the same time. The input means 500 can respectivelyindependently carry out size designation with respect to these pluralpicture data, and the control means 200 executes respectivemagnification adjustments with respect to individual picture data andexecutes respective sound volume adjustments with respect to sound datacorresponding thereto.

Individual elements shown in FIG. 1 are constituted in practice by acommonly used personal computer system. Namely, the control means 200can be realized by particular software combined with hardware includingCPU and memory of this computer, and the display 300 and the speaker 400are respectively realized by commonly used display and speaker connectedto the computer. In addition, the input means 500 is realized by aninput equipment such as a mouse or a keyboard connected to the computer,and the reference sound volume setting means 600 is realized by a volumetrimmer in hardware or a sound volume adjustment function in softwarefor controlling the speaker 400.

On the other hand, various media may be used for the data supply means100. A picture data may be a still picture data or a moving picturedata. Any types of picture data with any formats may be employed as faras the data can be handled by the control means 200. Similarly, anytypes of sound data with any formats may be employed as far as the datacan be handled by the control means 200. Accordingly, as a physicalconstituent of the data supply means 100, there may be employed not onlycommonly used information recording equipments for computer such as ahard disc unit, a CD-ROM drive unit, or an MO drive unit, etc., but alsoa video reproducing unit, an audio reproducing unit, or a receiving unitof the TV broadcast, wired broadcast or satellite broadcast, etc.

The operation of this apparatus will now be described while exemplifyinga more practical picture displayed on a screen 310 of the display 300.FIG. 2A is a front view showing a typical form of the screen 310 of thedisplay connected to the computer. On the upper portion of the screen, acontrol region 311 is provided. In this region, a command menu isdisplayed. When an operator clicks a particular command by a mouse inthis command menu displayed in the control region 311, it is possible toinput the particular command into the computer. A display region 312provided under the control region 311 is a region for actuallydisplaying a picture image based on a picture data delivered from thedata supply means 100. The operator could input an instruction fordisplaying a desired picture with a desired position and a desired sizeby using a mouse of the input means 500. FIG. 2B shows an example ofpresentation based on the presentation information 10. In FIG. 2B, thereis shown the state where a picture 1A is displayed within apredetermined window on the basis of the picture data 11. It is nowassumed that the entire area of the display region 312 shown in FIG. 2Ais represented by a numeric value of 100% as the maximum display area,and it is further assumed that the display area of the picture 1A shownin FIG. 2B is 30% with respect to the maximum display area. In thiscase, sound based on the sound data 12 is outputted from the speaker 400with a sound volume of 30% of the reference sound volume which has beenset in the reference sound volume setting means 600.

The position and the size of the window where the picture 1A isdisplayed can be arbitrarily changed by an operation of the mouse as theinput means 500. FIG. 3A shows the state where an enlarged picture 1Bobtained by enlarging the picture 1A is displayed so that the displayarea is increased up to the maximum area of 100%, and FIG. 3B shows thestate where a contracted picture 1C obtained by contracting the picture1A is displayed so that the display area is reduced to the area of 10%.The feature of this invention resides in that when the display area ofthe picture is changed in this way, the sound volume is automaticallychanged in dependency upon such a change. Namely, in the display formshown in FIG. 3A, the sound volume is also increased so as to take avalue of 100% (i.e., the reference sound volume value which has been setin the reference sound volume setting means 600). In the display formshown in FIG. 3B, the sound volume is also decreased so as to take avalue of 10%. When the sound volume is automatically changed independency upon the display area of the picture in this way, an operatorfeels that the picture and the sound are in harmony or correspondencewith each other. In addition, when a picture is displayed in an enlargedmanner, it is expected that the operator is more greatly interested inthat picture. Accordingly, an automatic operation to increase the soundvolume with increasing display area of the picture is considered toconform with the intention of the operator. As stated above, it ismeaningful that the automatic sound volume adjustment corresponding tothe size of the picture results in improvement in operability.

Such a control can be easily carried out by the control means 200.Namely, the control means 200 takes a particular presentationinformation (presentation information in the case of this example) fromthe data supply means 100 on the basis of instruction from the inputmeans 500. Then the control means 200 executes magnification adjustmentis to the picture data 11 based on the size designated. For example, ifthe picture data 11 is a picture data in a raster form, it is sufficientfor carrying out enlargement processing to carry out interpolation ofpixel, and it is sufficient for carrying out contraction processing tocarry out thinning of pixel. Then, a proper display area on the screen310 is calculated so that the picture with an adjusted size can bedisplayed. In the case of the example of FIG. 2B, a value of 30% isobtained with respect to the maximum display area. Then a drive signalbased on the sound data 12 is delivered to the speaker 400 so that asound related to that picture is outputted with a sound volume of 30% ofthe reference sound volume set in the reference sound volume settingmeans 600.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of the correlation between adisplay area S of picture and a sound volume V. In this example, therelationship therebetween is a linear relationship expressed as V=f1(S).In the graph, a sound volume value Vr is a reference sound volume set inthe reference sound volume setting means 600. When setting of thereference sound volume Vr is changed, a gradient of the graph ischanged. However, it is not necessarily required that the correlationbetween the display area S and the sound volume V is a linearrelationship as shown in the graph of FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is an example wheresetting of a non-linear relationship expressed as V=f2(S) is made. Inthis example, when the display area S is less than 20%, the sound volumeV becomes equal to zero, with the result that no sound is outputted.Accordingly, e.g., in the display form as shown in FIG. 3B, no sound isoutputted. Such a setting is convenience in the case where onlyconfirmation of picture is needed in a soundless state. Moreover,according to the relationship shown in FIG. 5, the sound volume V issaturated at the reference sound volume Vr even if the display area Sbecomes more than 100%. As a result, there is no possibility that thesound volume is increased any more. Accordingly, even if a picture iscaused to be enlarged so that the entirety of the picture exceeds themaximum size and only a portion of the picture is displayed on thescreen, there is no increase in the sound volume. In other words, thesound volume does not become greater than the reference sound volume Vrby any means and it is possible to prevent the sound volume frominfinitely increasing. Thus, it can be prevented that sound is outputtedwith a large sound volume contrary to the intention of the operator.

As stated above, it is not necessarily required that the correlationbetween the display area S and the sound volume V is a linearrelationship, but it is preferable to make a setting such that therelationship therebetween indicates a monotonically increasing functionin which the sound volume V increases with increase of the display areaS. With setting a monotonic relationship as stated above, when a displayarea S is gradually increased, a sound volume V also increasesaccordingly. As a result, the sound volume V may not be diverted in thedecrease direction by any means. Accordingly, the sound volumeadjustment is suitable for the operator.

The operation in the case where plural presentation information ispresented at the same time will now be described. Recent computers havea function to simultaneously execute plural software programs and tosimultaneously open plural files thus to display plural windows at thesame time on the same screen. For example, FIG. 6A shows the state wherepresentation information 10 and presentation information 20 arepresented at the same time. In this example, a picture 1D is displayedon the basis of picture data 11 included in the presentation information10 and a picture 2A is displayed on the basis of picture data 21included in the presentation information 20. As previously described,positions and sizes of windows to be used for such picture displays aredesignated by the input means 500 comprised of a mouse. In this case,sound data included in individual presentation information arerespectively presented with sound volumes corresponding to display areasof pictures corresponding to respective picture data. For example,assume that the first picture 1D is displayed in a display area of 15%and the second picture 2A is displayed in a display area of 40% and alinear function V=f1(S) as shown in FIG. 4 is set. In this case, as thereference sound volume Vr is assumed to be a sound volume of 100%, thesound data 12 related to the first picture 1D is presented with a soundvolume of 15% and the sound data 22 related to the second picture 2A ispresented with a sound volume of 40%. From a view point of the operator,a sound related to a large picture is presented with a large volume(loudness) and a sound related to a low picture is presented with asmall volume. Therefore, the picture and a sound are in harmony orcorrespondence with each other.

It is to be noted that when plural windows are presented on the samescreen at the same time, they are sometimes displayed in a manneroverlapping with each other. In such a case, it is preferable todetermine a display area on the basis of an actual display area which isnot concealed by the other pictures and to carry out sound volumeadjustment so that a related sound is produced with a sound volumecorresponding to the actual display area. It is now assumed that, e.g.,the first picture 1D is enlarged in the state shown in FIG. 6A to changeit into a picture 1E as shown in FIG. 6B. In this case, if the displayarea of the first picture 1E is increased to take a value of 30%, thesound data 12 is presented with a sound volume which is also increasedto take a value of 30%. At this time, a portion of the second picture 2Ais hidden behind the first picture 1E. When the actual display area ofthe second picture 2A is assumed to be decreased to take a value of 10%,the sound data 22 is presented with a sound volume which is alsodecreased to take a value of 10%. As described above, the sound volumeadjustment based on an actual display area is preferable because it isin correspondence with instinct of the operator.

This invention can be applied not only to the case where twopresentation information are presented at the same time, but also to thecase where three presentation information or more are presented at thesame time. For example, FIG. 7A shows the state where three presentationinformation 10, 20, 30 are presented at the same time. In this example,the first picture 1F is displayed in the actual display area of 60%, thesecond picture 2A is displayed in the actual display area of 8%, and thethird picture 3A is displayed in the actual display area of 5%.Accordingly, in the case where a linear function V=f1(S) as shown inFIG. 4 is set, the sound data 12 related to the first picture 1F ispresented with a sound volume of 60%, the sound data 22 related to thesecond picture 2A is presented with a sound volume of 8%, and the sounddata 32 related to the third picture 3A is presented with a sound volumeof 5%.

However, when the number of presentation information becomes great asstated above, a large number of sound data are presented in asynthesized manner. Therefore, when the operator listens to thesynthesized sound as a whole, it becomes difficult to discriminaterespective sounds. In view of this, it is effective to selectivelypresent only a sound data related to a picture on the screen of whichdisplay area is the largest. FIG. 7B shows the example where suchselective sound presentation is employed. While the screen of FIG. 7B isthe same as that of FIG. 7A, only a sound related to the first picture1F of which display area is the largest is outputted with a sound volumeof 60% and the other sounds are not outputted at all (a sound volume is0%) in FIG. 7B. It is to be noted that similar effect can be realizedalso by a way of definition of the correlation between the display areaS of picture and the sound volume V. For example, if a correlation asshown in FIG. 5 is defined, since the sound volume becomes equal to 0%when the display area S is less than 20%. Accordingly, even if a largenumber of pictures are displayed at the same time, when there is onlyone picture which has a display area above 20%, only a sound related tosuch a single picture is outputted.

Subsequently, another embodiment of this invention will be described.FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the fundamental configuration of theapparatus for presenting picture along with sound according to anotherembodiment. The configuration of this apparatus is substantially thesame as that of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, but is different from thelatter in that plural speakers are provided. Namely, a left speaker 410is. provided at the left side of the display 300 and a right speaker 420is provided at the right side thereof. In other words, there existplural speakers disposed so that relative positions with respect to thedisplay 300 are different from each other. In this configuration, whenan approach is employed to adjust sound volumes of the individualspeakers so that a position of a sound image corresponds to a displayposition of a picture, it is possible to produce harmony orcorrespondence between a picture and a sound. The operation based onthis approach will be described in detail below.

Similarly to the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, also in the apparatus shownin FIG. 8, a designating size and a designating display position withrespect to a specific picture is inputted by the input means 500. Letnow consider the case where the fourth picture 4A is displayed on thescreen 310 in a display area of 30%, as shown in FIG. 9, for example. Inthis case, in the previously described apparatus shown in FIG. 1, asound related to the picture 4A is outputted from the speaker 400 with asound volume of 30%. In contrast, in the apparatus shown in FIG. 8,sounds are outputted from the left and right speakers 410, 420 so that asound image corresponding to the display position of the picture 4A isproduced. In the example of FIG. 9, since the picture 4A is displayed atthe position slightly closer to the right of the screen 310, soundvolume distribution such that an output volume of the right speaker 420is greater than that of the left speaker 410 is made so that a soundimage of a sound related to the picture 4A is placed at the positionslightly closer to the right side.

This operation will now be described in more practical. In the followingexplanation, a region where a picture is displayed on the basis of adesignation inputted from the input means 500 is called designatedregion. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the rectangular regioncorresponding to the contour of the picture 4A is the designated region.When a designated region with respect to the picture 4A is determined,the control means 200 delivers sound signals based on the sound data 42to the left speaker 410 and the right speaker 420 so that a sound imagecorresponding to the relative position of the designated region withrespect to the entire display region of the screen 310 is produced. Inthe example shown in FIG. 9, the lateral width of an entire displayregion is assumed to be 100% and a central position M of the designatedregion is located at a position of 70% from the left and 30% from theright. In view of the above, in the apparatus of this embodiment, theentire sound volume of 30% (corresponding to the display area of picture4A) is proportionally distributed by inverse proportional ratio of70%:30% to determine sound volumes of the left and right speakers 410,420. Namely, a sound volume of the left speaker 410 is caused to be30%×30%=9% and a sound volume of the right speaker 420 is caused to be30%×70%=21%. The total sound volume of both the speakers becomes equalto 9%+21%=30%, which is the value corresponding to the display area ofthe picture 4A. Thus the balance between the left and the right isweighted to the right side and a sound image deviates slightly to theright side.

Now let assume that a size and a display position of the picture 4A arechanged as shown in FIG. 10 to display a picture 4B in a display area of60%. At this time, the central position M of the designated region isassumed to be changed to a position of 40% from the left and 60% fromthe right. In this condition, a sound volume of the left speaker 410becomes equal to 60%×60%=36%, and a sound volume of the right speaker420 becomes equal to 60%×40%=24%. The total sound volume of both thespeakers becomes equal to 36%+24%=60%, which is the value correspondingto the display area of the picture 4B. Thus the balance between the leftand the right is weighted to the left side and a sound image deviatesslightly to the left side.

In the above-described example, a picture balance between left and rightof the central position M of the designated region and a sound balancebetween left and right are to simply linearly correspond to each other.However, it is not necessarily required that the both balances arecaused to linearly correspond to each other. As long as a viewer canrecognize that the picture balance between the left and right displayposition of the picture and the sound balance between the left and rightsound image position are caused to correspond to each other, anycorrespondence relationship may be defined.

Moreover, while in the example described above, only the singlepresentation information 40 is presented, in the case where pluralpresentation information are presented at the same time, it issufficient to determine plural central positions M of respectivedesignated regions with respect to individual pictures to display and asynthetic sound based on delivered plural sound data is outputted fromindividual speakers so that sounds related to the individual picturesproduce respective sound images corresponding to the central positionsM.

Further, while two speakers are provided at the left and right sides ofthe display 300 in the above-mentioned example, two speakers can beprovided at the upper and lower positions of the display 300. In thisupper and lower location, it is sufficient that a picture balance inupper and lower directions and a sound balance in upper and lowerdirections are caused to correspond to each other. It is a matter ofcourse that in the case where four speakers are provided in upper andlower directions and in left and right directions, or also in the casewhere speakers more than four are provided, this invention can beapplied thereto. In short, the fundamental idea of this inventionresides in that in the case where plural speakers are provided at theperiphery of the display, a sound image corresponding to a pictureposition is prepared by these plural speakers. This invention may beimplemented in any form as long as implementation dose not deviate fromthe above-mentioned fundamental idea.

While this invention has been described in accordance with theembodiments shown, this invention is not limited to these embodiments,but may be carried out in various forms in addition to the above. Forexample, the example where this invention is applied to the multimediareproduction system using a personal computer is disclosed in theabove-described embodiments, but this invention may be applied also togeneral TV image receivers. Recently, a TV image receiver having afunction to display multiple windows on a screen is on a market. In thisTV image receiver, several TV programs can be represented on a samescreen at the same time. If this invention is applied to such a TV imagereceiver, a sound relating to a main program presented in a large windowis outputted with a large volume and a sound relating to a sub programpresented in a small window is outputted with a small volume. Besides,sounds can be provided from both the left and right speakers with apredetermined sound balance in dependency upon the display position ofthe picture.

Moreover, in recent years, personal computers capable of receiving TVbroadcast to display a TV program have been popularized. This inventioncan also be applied to such personal computers. In this case, anaudience can easily select a presentation feature. For example, he/shecould set a small window for receiving a news program with a smallvolume of sound, or he/she could set a large window for receiving acinema program with a large volume of sound.

Further, this invention can be applied also to a display device in whicha large number of light emitting elements (light bulbs or LEDs, etc.)such as a light sign board or an advertisement board, etc. provided inthe street. In such display devices, large pictures and small picturesare usually displayed in the mixed state and power consumption greatlydepends upon the total display area of pictures. In view of the above,it has a great meaning to apply this invention to such display devices.According to the present invention, sound and a picture are presented inharmony or correspondence with each other. In short, this invention canbe applied also to any types of apparatuses for presenting picture alongwith sound.

As described above, in accordance with this invention, since an approachis employed to present a sound with a sound volume corresponding to adisplay area of a picture and to produce a sound image corresponding toa display position of a picture, it becomes possible to present pictureand sound with a feeling such that they are in harmony or correspondencewith each other.

Industrial Applicability

This invention can be widely utilized in systems for providing sound andpicture at the same time such as multimedia reproduction systems using apersonal computer, general TV image receivers, light sign boards oradvertisement boards provided in the street, and the like.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for presenting a picture along withsound comprising:a display for displaying pictures; a speaker forproducing sounds; data supply means for supplying plural sets ofpresentation information, each set of presentation information includingpicture data for allowing the display to display a picture and sounddata for allowing the speaker to produce sound; input means forinputting respective designated positions and respective designatedsizes for respective picture data; and control means for controlling thedisplay so that pictures are displayed based on picture data suppliedfrom the data supply means and for controlling the speaker so thatsounds are produced based on sound data supplied from the data supplymeans; said control means having; a first function to adjust respectivemagnifications of the picture data so that pictures are displayed inrespective display areas having said respective designated sizes; asecond function to display individual pictures in said respectivedisplay areas located at said respective designated positions on ascreen on the basis of adjusted picture data, a part of a picture beingconcealed by other pictures when they are overlapped; a third functionto determine actual display areas which are not concealed on the screenfor said individual pictures; and a fourth function to adjust volumes ofthe sound data so that sounds related to said individual pictures arerespectively produced with volumes corresponding to said actual displayareas of said individual pictures.
 2. An apparatus for presentingpicture along with sound as set forth in claim 1, wherein said controlmeans establishes a relationship between the display area of a pictureand the sound volume in which the sound volume monotonically increaseswith increase of the display area.
 3. Apparatus for presenting picturealong with sound as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:referencesound volume setting means for setting a predetermined reference soundvolume; and wherein sound volume is adjusted so that when an entirepicture is displayed with a reference size which is set in advance,sound is produced with said reference sound volume.